The Parting of the Ways
by Isis1
Summary: This is the preface to Journeys End in Lovers Meeting. How Orphen, Heartia, and Lai became elders.


"This is the parting of the ways, Orphen - Krillancelo! Or, whatever!"  
  
Orphen winced, painfully. The scorn in her voice was  
too much for him to take. As always, her temper was quicker   
than her resolution. He watched as her fists clenched and un-clenched,   
one eye twitching uncontrollably. He placed his hands gently, but   
firmly on her shoulders, only to her jerk away. Cleao took tiny   
steps backwards. She loathed him at the moment. With his eyes   
that shone brightly with alert, and his blank expression, caused  
her anger to double.   
  
"Master/Krillancelo!" Majic/Heartia called.   
  
Orphen did not turn, he could not turn away from her  
pain. He could the suffering, down to her soul he could see   
it. A sharp intake of breath, did he take, when tears slipped   
from her eyes. She turned around, dress moving in tune with the   
wind. Cleao wrapped her arms around her stomach. A great wave of   
nausea rose up in her stomach. She had fought so long to get a bit   
of time with Orphen alone since Azalie's departure. And now, when   
she he had pulled her aside, she felt joy; disappeared when the   
words "I'm leaving," slipped out. He reached out and stroked her   
shoulder - she ducked from his touched and turned to face him once more.  
  
"Go - just go!"   
  
"Cleao, if you would just shut up for one moment..."  
  
She slapped him - Cleao actually hit him, with the   
back of her hand. The slap did not hurt, not really. But   
with the back of her hand was what hurt the most; he was not   
even good enough to touch. More tears streamed forth from her   
eyes, leaving tiny circles of wetness on her dress. Orphen   
turned his head to gaze at her hurt-ridden eyes. He had never  
seen such fear and resentment in depths of blue.   
  
"From all of our time together - all I can remember is you   
telling me shut up. If it wasn't about Azalie, it was my   
big mouth, right? You finally got what you wanted - all   
that you cared about. You turned Azalie back into her former   
form, and what did she do? She left you - she left with big   
screw you! And, I bet - I just bet you're still lamenting over   
that fact that she was bitch all along. You're going back to   
the tower - hah! You won't stay two weeks there, let alone two   
years. You'll run after Azalie and beg her take you back,   
licking her feet all the way. Well, I've got new for you,   
Or-phen - I am not going to stay with you and hold your hand   
while you chase a childhood fantasy!"   
  
Orphen did not anger at her wounding words. Of course,  
they hurt - he never knew so many daggers of slings could be  
twisted into his heart at the same time. His face was warm  
where she had hit him and from out of nowhere a thought entered   
his head. It would be the last time he would ever feel her skin.   
In truth, he would have preferred her beating him - killing him -  
cutting off his fingers one by one with a spoon, to the tongue   
lashing he had just received. But she was not done - no there was   
one more thing to be said - to seal the parting.   
  
"I love you! And you don't even care - you just don't care.   
Go to the Tower - go and never come back. I never want to see you again!"   
  
She turned and ran away toward the nearest carriage.   
Before the thought of even going after her came, she had disappeared.   
Orphen blinked slowly, not wanting to believe what had just happened.   
Cleao was really gone. Before when she had left, he was so entirely sure   
that she would return. Not this time - never again would he see her   
smile, or blush.   
  
A hand clasped his shoulder, startling him from his   
thoughtful reverie. Orphen glanced from the corner of his eyes;   
it was Heartia. Heartia gazed out, looking to see if he could   
catch a glimpse of Cleao. He sighed heavily - more time would   
be wasted if they had to search for her.   
  
"Where is she?"   
  
Orphen thought of screaming and blowing up the nearest   
thing. His disbelief turned quickly into anger - bitter anger.   
He clenched his fist - alabater bone could be seen through the   
skin. Heartia clasped his arm, attempting to comfort him as   
best he could.   
  
"Home,"   
  
"Home?" Heartia asked, confusedly.   
  
"Cleao's going home, Heartia,"   
  
"And, so must we, Krillancelo,"   
  
Orphen nodded and breathed deeply. The wind hit   
his face - he became chilled. Why was it so cold? He   
lifted his hand to his face. He was crying - tears had   
fallen without him noticing it. Orphen had not cried in   
so long - so long. "I thought I'd forgotten how," he   
thought, sorrowfully. He turned to Heartia, erasing   
all feeling from his eyes and lips.   
  
"I told you once before, my friend - I am not he.   
Krillancelo is buried - I am Orphen,"   
  
  
  
Orphen shook with rage. The elder - the hipocritical   
elders, smirking at him. He cursed them all for being such   
cowards. They were leaving - leaving, when the school needed   
them the most. The reason was Childman - the reason was Azalie.   
"Damn them," cursed Orphen, "Damn them all." One by one they   
stepped down and so regally walked from the room. Each seeming   
to where a smile of triumph and content.   
  
Three of them, Orphen, Heartia, and Lai, stood in   
shock. It was given, was it not? The council was supposed   
to be there, always were they meant to be leaders. The wisest   
and strongest were fleeing the chains of teaching. How idiotic   
and foolish the elders seemed to be running away like mere dogs   
with tails between their legs.   
  
"How will the school survive? Who will we turn to in the   
darkest hours?!" Orphen cried, rhetorically.   
  
How Orphen wished Childman was here. He would know   
what to do. Childman was a great man - a great sorcerer.   
He could not belive that he once thought that he could live   
up to the man's reputation. But, was not Orphen his apprentice   
once, his student? Surely there was something Childman saw in   
him. He knew, of course, that he was the greatest now. "Humble -   
be humble," Orphen told himself. He did not expect an answere, but   
alas received one. As the last elder neared the door, not turning,   
he spoke.   
  
"You returned the knave to her body, even after we ordered   
her death. You reverted the gifted one, Childman back to a   
state of dream. Surely, you the great," the elder paused,   
thinking carefully, "Orphen, could find a way to prevail."   
  
Orphen ground his teeth. And recalled his own   
insolence. Had he really been that bad? Yes, he had   
indeed been horrible. For a moment, the bitterness -   
the pain of losing Cleao, eased. A brief smile appeared   
on his face. What was there to be done? From the outside,   
he could students already leaving. They would be able to   
return the families from which they came. It hurt terribly   
as the satin blades carved their mark into his heart. Just   
another scar along with all the other heartbreaks.   
  
"What is there to do now?" asked Heartia, perplexed.   
  
"Be still, young ones, all is not lost,"   
  
All three turned around. Two elders had stayed   
behind. They were overlooked before, but now they would   
be saviours. Orphen stared at the two men. The names of   
the persons evaded his memory for the moment, for which he   
cursed silently.   
  
"We will be the new council, because we, are all that is left,"   
  
Lai with his words of wisdom beyond his years,   
concluded the dilemma at hand. Though much toil is to   
be had with a council of five, Orphen was sure they would   
prevail. They had to prevail - he had to prevail. This   
was the only thing he could do to honour his master's memory.   
He wondered if Childman, in his rebourne form, would become   
once again the greatest. If so, then the Tower must be as   
strong as it was the day it was built. He would ensure that   
the Tower would be as great, if not greater, as it was once   
before. 


End file.
